Welcome to the City Hall Scoop, a blog from South Pasadena City Hall. Our intention is to provide short daily bursts on hyper-local topics of interest to our residents! Please send suggestions for articles to: SocialMedia@southpasadenaca.gov.
3/28/2022
Residents are invited to learn more about the proposed changes to the Westside Reservoir – an essential water facility that stores drinking water and maintains pressure for thousands of South Pasadena homes. Join us to explore the major improvements, project timeline, and potential impacts to traffic and surrounding streets.
Date: Thursday, December 11, 2025
Time: 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Library Community Room, 1115 El Centro St.
Residents are invited to learn more about the proposed changes to the Westside Reservoir – an essential water facility that stores drinking water and maintains pressure for thousands of South Pasadena homes. Join us to explore the major improvements, project timeline, and potential impacts to traffic and surrounding streets.
Date: Thursday, December 11, 2025
Time: 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Library Community Room, 1515 El Centro St.
South Pasadena is refreshing the way we recycle, compost, and sort our waste. The City and Athens are here to make sure residents have all the tools to make the transition easier!
Beginning the week of November 10, Athens Services will start delivering brand-new barrels to single-family and multifamily homes with manual barrel service. Deliveries will continue citywide through the end of November.
Once your new set arrives, you can start using them right away:
Black Barrel | Trash
Blue Barrel | Recycling
Green Barrel | Organics
Need help figuring out what goes where? Athens’ interactive tool makes sorting easy! Visit athensservices.com/recycling-guide to search for any item and see exactly which bin it belongs in.
♻️ What to Do with Your Old Barrels
Out with the old, in with the new! The week after your new barrels are delivered, you can recycle your old ones by simply placing them upside down in your trash enclosure on your regular service day. Athens will collect and recycle them through December 12, 2025.
Want to keep your old barrels for gardening or storage? Go for it! Just remember—they can no longer be used for regular waste collection.
🕐 Missed the Deadline? No Problem!
If you didn’t submit your barrel selections by October 10, you can still contact Athens Customer Service to make your selections. A one-time $40 delivery fee may apply.
Need to adjust your previous order? Athens can help with that too. Just give them a call and have your account information ready so they can assist you quickly.
📞 Athens Customer Service: 888.336.6100
🎯 Manual Barrel Households: Last call!
Get your picks in by Friday, Oct 10 so we can lock in delivery for your brand-new barrels arriving early November as part of the City’s 3-stream (trash ♻️ organics) rollout.
📣 What’s happening this week:
How to submit your selections:
• 🌐 Online: bit.ly/SPBarrelForm
• 📞 Call Athens: (888) 336-6100
• ✉️ Return your postcard by mail or drop it at City Hall
Let’s get set for November—pick the barrels that fit your home and help South Pas go greener! 🌿🚛
♻️ Still Confused About What Goes Where? We’ve got you covered!
As South Pasadena transitions to a 3-stream waste collection system, it’s totally normal to have questions about where items belong — trash, recycling, or organics.
✅ Here’s a helpful resource:
Visit athensservices.com/recycling-guide for Athens’ interactive “What Goes Where” tool. It walks you through how to reuse, recycle, and compost everyday materials — making waste sorting easy and stress-free.
Let’s sort smarter, South Pas — together we can make a cleaner, greener community! 🌿🚛
LANDFILL
non-recyclable trash no longer of use
RECYCLABLES
ORGANIC WASTE
Big changes are on the way for single-family and multifamily homes with manual barrel service! 🚛
📬 Postcards were sent the week of September 1 with instructions on how to customize your new set of barrels — black for trash, blue for recycling, and green for organics. Misplaced your postcard? No worries – residents can pick up new postcards at City Hall, Senior Center & Library today!
🗓 Selection window closes October 10— don’t miss your chance to pick the perfect mix for your home.
💡 How to Submit Your Selections:
Your brand-new barrels will be delivered in early November — just in time to kick off South Pasadena’s three-stream waste collection system! ♻️✨
♻️ REMINDER: Athens Office Hours – This Friday!
Join us on Friday, September 26, from 12–2 PM at City Hall to get personalized guidance on South Pasadena’s upcoming three-stream waste collection transition.
Each session kicks off with a hands-on demo about what goes where, followed by one-on-one consultations with Athens representatives. This is a great chance to:
Don’t miss this opportunity to get your questions answered and prepare for the changes ahead! 🌱
🌱 THIS SATURDAY! 🌱
Get ready to dig in, South Pasadena! The City is hosting a FREE Compost & Mulch Giveaway just for our residents.
📍 Where: Arroyo Golf Course Parking Lot – 1055 Lohman Lane
🗓 When: Saturday, September 27, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Bring your own sturdy container, shovel, and proof of residence to scoop up fresh compost and mulch—perfect for your fall planting and garden refresh! Supplies are limited and will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, so come early and don’t miss out!
Let’s grow greener together, South Pasadena! 🌼🌳
The City will be hosting a FREE Compost and Mulch Giveaway next Saturday, Sept. 27, for South Pasadena residents. Stop by the Arroyo Golf Course Parking Lot (1055 Lohman Lane) between 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. Compost and Mulch will be given away on a first-come, first-served basis to South Pasadena residents ONLY, while supplies last. Limit two 35 gallon containers per household.
Residents are asked to bring a sturdy container, a shovel, and proof of residence in South Pasadena. For more information, please visit SouthPasadenaCA.gov/EnvironmentalPrograms.
Beginning August 25, 2025, Athens Services will deliver new blue recycling and green organics containers to all commercial customers and multifamily/residential customers with bin service. A reminder postcard will be mailed out to these customers this week.
Key Reminders:
If you have any questions about these new collection services, you can contact Athens Services at (888) 336-6100. You can also find additional details about the transition from a 2-stream collection system to a 3-stream collection system, including Frequently Asked Questions, on our City website: www.SouthPasadenaCA.gov/EnvironmentalPrograms
The new 3-stream waste collection system will apply to all waste customers citywide. Residential customers with manual barrel service (formerly known as ‘backyard service’) will be receiving new barrels from Athens Services later this year. Residential customers will also receive a postcard from Athens Services with more information about what to expect.
Come learn about South Pasadena’s city budget! The Finance Department is hosting a community meeting to open the conversation about the city’s budget for the next fiscal year. Join on Wednesday, August 6, 2025 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Community Room, located at 1115 El Centro St., South Pasadena. No RSVP needed. We are looking forward to meeting you!
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